MV Brigitte Bardot
The MV Brigitte Bardot (formerly Gojira) is a high speed trimaran designed to circumnavigate the world in record time, until it was beaten by the Ady Gil. The ship was acquired in 2010 to replace the sunken Ady Gil and first participated in Operation No Compromise under the name Gojira. The name was changed after legal issues. History Operation No Compromise Originally known as the Cable and Wireless Adventurer, the ship set a world circumnavigation record of 80 days in 1998, later beaten by the Ady Gil. The vessel went through many owners and names before being acquired by Sea Shepherd and named Gojira, Godzilla in Japanese, to replace the sunken Ady Gil. The vessel was painted Sea Shepherd black with Godzilla on the bow. The Gojira proved its effectiveness during Operation No Compromise under the command of Captain Locky MacLean. It assisted in disabling the Yushin Maru No. 3 and slowed down the Nisshin Maru enough for the Bob Barker to catch up. The highlight of the campaign is when they found the whaler's supply ship ''Sun Laurel'' and tailed them. After the campaign, the Godzilla franchise notified Sea Shepherd that they could not use the name Gojira, so the name was changed to the Brigitte Bardot, after the French actress who is a supporter and board member of Sea Shepherd. The entire vessel was repainted silver with a picture of Brigitte Bardot with a Jolly Roger flag on either side of the bow. Operation Ferocious Isles The Brigitte Bardot played a crucial role during Operation Ferocious Isles in the Faroe Islands when the Steve Irwin was delayed. The ship traveled throughout the islands, watching for possible grinds. While tied up in port, the ship was surrounded by angry locals at night who harassed the crew until police showed up. The next morning, a drunk man untied the Brigitte Bardot's mooring line. The ship monitored the beaches of the island, at one point discoving a whale graveyard. Towards the end off the campaign, the Brigitte Bardot joined the Steve Irwin in successfully driving a pod of whales away from the shore. Operation Divine Wind During Operaton Divine Wind, the vessel was placed under the command of Jonathan Renecle, who had worked onboard the ship before it joined Sea Shepherd. In late December of 2012, a rogue wave snapped the left pontoon of the ship, severely crippling the Brigitte Bardot. The vessel survived a storm and the Bob Barker and Steve Irwin quickly rushed to its aid. The Brigitte Bardot was escorted back to port by the Steve Irwin, while being tailed by the Shonan Maru No. 2. The ship was repaired and reinforced and was able to take part in the next campaign. Operation Zero Tolerance In Operation Zero Tolerance, the Brigitte Bardot was captained by French sailor Jean Yves Terlain, who previously sailed for the World Wide Fund for Nature. It was the first vessel to encounter the whaling fleet, spotting and pursuing the Yushin Maru No. 3. While attempting to flee from the harpoon vessel, the engines were overworked and failed. The Brigitte Bardot returned to port as prolonged exposure to the dangerous Antarctic waters increased the risk of another accident. Operation Sleppið Grindini The Bridget Bardot ''took part in the 2015 campaign in the Faroe Islands. Just like in Grindstop and Ferocious Islands Sea Shepherd was harassed by drunken Danish whalers who cut their mooring lines and attacked the crew. The Danish Navy showed up and impounded the small boats belonging to the ''Sam Simon, ''the ''Bob Barker, and the Bridget Bardot. Sea Shepherd has since replaced these boats when all three vessels were drydocked in Germany. Drydock The ''Brigitte Bardot ''was drydocked at the end of 2015 to repair damage to the hull. The vessel has since been transferred to Sea Shepherd France and is being used as a patrol vessel off the African coast. Operation Mare Nostrum I,II, and III, Operation Siracusa, and Operation Bluefin III As of 2016 The ''Bardot ''is back in action and is now in the Mediterranean working for Sea Shepherd France. This year the ''Bardot ''is taking part in Operation Mare Nostrum whose goal is to find plastic and illegal ghost nets, and also to take part in Operation Bluefin 3 to stop Bluefin poachers.Upon completion of Operation Bluefin III the ''Bardot ''took part in Operation Siracusa. The goal was to stop illegal urchin fishing and to recover gillnets. Upon completion of these campaigns and two years on patrol The ''Brigitte Bardot ''was transferred to Sea Shepherd USA on board the floating drydock and yacht transporter ''Super Servant 3. ''After a two month voyage from Italy the ''Brigitte Bardot ''is in Fort Lauderdale to repair damage to hull. After time in drydock the ''Brigitte Bardot ''will move to Sea Shepherd USA's operation base in Key West where she will be prepped for turtle conservation campaigns this summer. Operation Jairo In 2018 the ''Brigitte Bardot ''went through a repair overhaul before being reflagged to Dominica Republic. Since Hurricane's Harvey, Ivan, Irma, and Maria Sea Shepherd has been delivering supplies to the islands while also protecting turtles from poachers. On the last day of campaign Sea Shepherd and the Antigua Sea Turtle Project rescued an endangered hawksbill turtle who was cold stunned on the beach from heat stroke after being trapped between a rocky ledge and some drift wood. Sea Shepherd freed the turtle and put it back in the water ending a successful campaign and ensured it's young survive until they hatch. Category:Neptune's Navy